feek her own only, but conceives a certain pleasure from another's welfare, and filently rejoiceth with them that rejoice.

It must be acknowledged this fin of envy doth most easily beset the corrupt nature of mankind; as though the infection were originally taken from that evil fpirit, who firft envied, and then betrayed, the happiness of our great Progenitors. We obferve it opera

may

ting but too plainly upon all ranks and conditions of men. Herewith the poorer fort perfecute the wealthy, the idle and unjuft thofe who are induftrious and upright in their callings, and in general the covetous and ambitious all that are more fuccessful or more applauded than themselves. Condemned however by the divine juftice to be it's own immediate tormentor, it feldom fails to difturb the quiet, corrode the fpirits, and even to injure the fympathising

bodies,

bodies, of those who are tainted with it's malignity.

But if fuch be the propenfity of fallen man to fo ungenerous, fo barren, nay fo fatal a fpecies of uncharitableness, how ought we to guard against it with the most prying circumfpection? to take especial care that we entertain not any discontentedness with our own ftation, nor repine at the more favourable diftributions of Providence to other men. Above all things does it behove us to fupplicate our heavenly Father, that He would be pleased to pour into our hearts this most excellent gift of Charity; one distinguishing property whereof, as given us by our Apostle, is, that it envieth not.

But to proceed—Doth spiritual pride and vanity lurk within us? Do we trust that we are in a more than ordinary degree righteous, or in any other refpect eminent,

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eminent, and therefore despise others? Let us but seriously ask ourselves that queftion of St. Paul, Why doft thou fet at nought thy brother?" and Charity, which vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unfeemly, will quickly inform us that there is no reason for fuch deportment; will teach us, that though moral imperfections and vicious habits do indeed much leffen and difgrace the man, yet they do not erase those characters of divinity which are stampt upon his nature; that we ourselves have many defects which either we cannot or will not fee, and are liable to many more; yet by the grace of God we are what we are; that He of his mercy may, and often does, recover the worst offenders; and that fuch therefore de

serve our prayers and pity, much rather than our contempt.

Το

To this purpose we have a very inftructive leffon delivered by Christ himfelf, under the characters of a Pharifee and a Publican, who went up to the temple at the fame time, to offer up each respectively his folemn addreffes before the throne of Divine Grace. The Pharifee full of spiritual pride and infolent difplay of his own merit, with an air and posture of confidence, begins thanking God that he was not as other men, extortioners, unjuft, adulterers; not even fparing the poor Publican; who, in the fame houfe of prayer, with contrite heart and dejected spirit, dared not lift up fo much as his eyes to Heaven, but fmote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a finner. The parable, we are told, was in a particular manner directed to certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. And the mortifying fentence pronounced upon the different behaviour

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behaviour of these two men was, that the latter, the humble Publican, went down to his houfe juftified in the eye of God, rather than the former, the selfconceited Pharifee.

Lastly Are - Are any elated through worldly circumstances, what are usually called the gifts or endowments of fortune, fo as to look down with infolence and difdain upon the poor and needy, thereby (as Solomon fpeaks) reproaching their common Creator? Alas! in. fuch a cafe let but each one enquire of his own conscience, what he hath which he did not receive ? and this fame Charity will give us to understand that we are men, fellow creatures and fellow Christians; that these feeming differences are but for a feafon, even these too providentially allotted for the very increase of mutual benevolence; and that a short period of time will fet all

upon